Upper Class: Chapter 18
They all stop laughing and just stare at me until I throw up my hands. They’ve obviously planned for every scenario.
I’m wallowing on my bed, staring up at the Hello Kitty stickers on my ceiling, when Ta knocks and walks in. I look at him dramatically, and sigh as loudly as possible. He gives me a knowing look and we start to laugh.
I’m his drama princess, he says. I honestly think I shocked my parents when they realized I wasn’t as normal as their other progeny. My sisters are all so nice and dependable, and then I burst onto the scene like a bulldozer.
Oh well.
Ta sits down heavily on my little vanity chair. We both look at it, willing it to hold. It does, thankfully.
I don’t know who’s more relieved, me or Ta.
“Nervous?” Ta asks. He’s a man of few words, a trait I most definitely did not inherit. Sima did, though, and I always admire how everyone listens when she speaks, just because it’s such a rare occurrence.
I shrug, my playful mood suddenly gone.
“Can I switch schools?” I ask, only half kidding.
He smiles and rubs a hand across his forehead. When did he get so gray? I suddenly have the sinking feeling that time is moving much too fast.
“I’m not sure the other schools are accepting applicants the night before the first day,” he says.
I nod, my throat tight. “Fair point.”
He clears his throat. “It’s going to be okay, you know that, right?”
I shrug, not trusting myself to speak. “Yeah.”
Ta gets up. “You’re going to be amazing, Naomi. Everything is going to work out, you’ll see.”
I just look at him, until he sighs and turns to leave the room. Only once I hear his heavy footfalls on the steps do I think to whisper, “Amen.”
I lie back down and then Libby walks in. What is this, a rotation?
“I’m fine!” I grouch. “What is wrong with everyone?”
She wisely ignores my rudeness. “Everyone’s great, it’s you I’m worried about. Can you come help me bring in packages from the car?”
I twist my hair into a bun, and give her a look.
“Are you joking? I’m flipping out here and you want me to be helpful?”
She cracks up. “Crazy, right? Come.”
She pats me on my bun and leaves.
UCH! People!
Just… why.
I slip on my UGGs and clomp down as loudly as I can, banging the screen door open, and clomping over to Libby’s car. She opens it from the inside… and pulls me in, slamming the door.
“Ahhhhhhhh!” I shriek, because hello, she’s just kidnapped me.
“Surprise!”
“Ahhhhh!” I shriek again, louder, because my three big sisters are in the back, all wearing cheesy party hats on top of snoods and tichels. It’s not a great look.
“Naomi Taub…” Libby says in a radio announcer voice. “Consider this your rite of passage. Today, you are a high school student. Tomorrow, you are a Taub in Morah Taub’s class.”
“Your life…” Miri says.
“Will never…” Sima continues.
“Be the same,” Yocheved finishes. She winks at me.
Okay, they’re officially nuts.
“You’re officially nuts,” I say wittily.
Libby steps on the gas. “Oh, we know.”
“To Slurpeeland!” Sima shouts, accidentally elbowing Miri in the face.
I crack up.
I stop laughing when Miri puts a party hat on my head. “Oh, there is no way I’m wearing this inside the store.”
They all stop laughing and just stare at me until I throw up my hands. They’ve obviously planned for every scenario.
“Fine! Fine, I’ll wear it. Sheesh!”
“But remember, never cave to peer pressure,” Libby says and we start laughing so hard, we cry. We don’t stop for a long time.
They drop me off later with brachos and well-wishes and advice that I definitely will not be following, including gems like “change your name,” and “ask if you can get a doctor’s note from Ma to be exempt from her class.”
I hug them all good night, feeling only slightly awkward with Yocheved. Last time I saw the woman, she was stealing my luggage.
But she whispers in my ear, “You got this,” and I know we’re okay.
Libby looks at me. “Gonna drive these nutsos home. Um, I think someone is waiting to speak to you.”
I turn slowly and face the house. Yup, Ma is standing framed in the doorway, waving.
Oh Hashem, this is turning out to be the longest night of my life.
We settle on opposite couches. Ma’s holding a beautiful brown leather book. It looks like a Tehillim.
It’s not.
“It’s a notebook,” Ma says, showing me.
It has my name engraved in gold, and it’s so gorgeous, I want to fill every page.
“Use this to communicate with me, okay, Naomi? In these pages, I’m just Ma. Tell me about your year, about any issue with Morah Taub or your classmates. Write it in here, okay? And if you want me to read something, leave it on my pillow. I’ll never look at it without your permission.”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. It’s a great idea, but I just don’t have that kind of relationship with my mother.
That’s for people like Debbi.
I kiss her on the cheek and stand up.
“Naomi?”
I sit back down, so we’re eye level again. “Yeah?”
Ma smiles and takes my hand. “I’m excited to have you in my class. It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”
I nod again and head upstairs without looking back again.
I have a big day coming up. Better get my beauty sleep.
To be continued…
(Originally featured in Junior, Issue 965)
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